Support for vehicle loading skids



March 3o, 1954 2,673,635

R. H. DOBBS SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE LOADING SKIDS Filed June 5, 1953 2Sheets-Sheet l /c//Apa A( @055 5 IN V EN TOR.

March 30, 1954 R. H. DoBBs 2,673,635 SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE LOADING SKIDsFiled June 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,wma 5065.9

c INVENTOR. i2

Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE s Claims. l

This invention relates to a device for temporarily supporting one end ofa loading skid on an elevated platform or vehicle so that heavy objects,such as oil well casing sections, may be moved upward on the skid to theelevated surface. It is an improvement over the skid holder protected bymy Patent No. 2,559,712, issued July 10, i951.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a skid holderwhich can be easily and firmly secured to an end of skids of varyingcross sectional shapes and sizes, and which can then be secured to anelevated platform, such as a vehicle body, or can be rested upon aportion of the edge of such platform, or upon cargo already loaded onthe platform, to thus support the attached end of the skid whileadditional cargo is moved upward over the skid from the ground or otherlower supporting surface.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a skid holder theupper surface of which is so contoured as to present practically no'mterference to the rolling or skidding of cargo from the skid properover the holder to the vehicle body.

It is an additional object to provide a skid holder of extremely ruggedconstruction, including the means for securing the holder to the skid aholder which is capable of standing up indefinitely under heavycommercial use.

The invention, together with other objects, will be more clearlyunderstood when the following description is read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevations illustrating two different manners ofusing the skid holder of this invention to load cargo on a vehicle, thevehicle, the cargo, and the skid proper being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of a skid holder embodying my inventionattached to a skid and anchored to a portion of a vehicle, the skidproper and the vehicle being shown fragmentarily in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is a Vertical sectional view taken along the line 1 -Il of Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a rear end View of the holder, with parts in section along theline 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively top plan and side elevations of theholder showing further details of construction including a cargo anchorwhich constitutes a portion of its forward end.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 to `5, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention illustrated includes generally an elongatedrigid beam It; a cross bar I I secured rigidly to the beam intermediateits ends, preferably in such position that the nether surfaces of crossbar and beam lie in a common plane; a transverse stop I2 secured rigidlyto the beam forward of the cross bar; and means I3 secured to theforward end of the beam, aligned longitudinally therewith, andprojecting forward beyond stop I2 for contact with a load supportingstructure I4 to support the holder and hence the end of a skid to whichthe holder is secured; and a flexible member I5 having spaced portionssecured to the cross bar on opposite sides of the beam for embracing theend of a skid I6 to secure the entire holder thereto firmly.

Beam I0 is preferably made up of a pair of spaced heavy plates, I andI8, which diverge toward the rear end of the beam. A transverse plate 39has its side edge rigidly secured, as by welding, to the aft portions ofplates il and I8, and serves as a spacer. The cross bar II passesthrough aligned perforations in the respective plates, and is likewisewelded thereto.

An angle iron is welded transversely to the forward ends of plates Iland I8, with one flange i3 depending below the plane of the lower planarsurface of the beam. It serves to abut the extreme end of a skid It whenthe holder is mounted thereon, as shown in Fig. 4.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the structure contacting means I3 is in the form of aheavy downwardly open hook 20, the shank of which is positioned betweenthe forward ends of plates I and IS, as shown in Fig. 3, and is weldedthereto, as well as to the stop I2. This hook is aligned with thelongitudinal axis of beam IIJ, and projects forward of stop I2. It mayengage the ring or staple 2| of a bracket 22, designed to seat on an endof a bolster 23 of a vehicle. The hook 2li thus serves to contact a loadsupporting structure, supports the entire holder therefrom, and theholder supports an end of the loading skid.

The flexible member I5 is shown in the form of a chain which has oneling 24 removably secured in a hook 25, which is in turn removablysecured to an end of cross bar II by means of a ring 26 and a connectinglink 2l.

As a means of tightening the chain about a skid to firmly clamp theentire holder thereon, the opposite end of the chain is secured to athreaded bar 28. Bar 28 and chain I5 are both freely movablelongitudinally in a tubular housing 2s, the inner end of which isremovably secured to cross bar II by means of a heavy ring til. Bar 23is forcibly moved to tighten the chain by means cf a nut 3i which bearsagainst the outer end cf tube 29. The nut 3l is provided with apivotally attached lever type handle 32.

The manner of attaching the holder to a skid I6 is clearly illustratedin Figs. 3, e, and 5. It will be noted that the bottom surface of beamIll is planar, and that the rear portion of the up per surface is gentlyinclined downwardly and rearwardly to meet the bottom surface at anacute angle. Also the top edge of hook 2! lies 3 in the same plane asthe top surface of the forward end of beam I0. The holder is placed on askid ,so that flange I9 abuts the s kidend, and so that beam I llyextends centrally and longitudinally toward the opposite end of theskid. With the holder thus clamped on an end of. a skid, and the holdersupported by hook 20 on any load supporting structure, heavyobjccts,such as oil well casing 33 (Fig. 1), may be moved upward on the skid,over the upper surface 'of the holder, and onto the supporting structurewirthouhany material interference from the h'fder itself.

In Figs. 6 and 17, themeans I3 for 'contacting a load supportingstrcture includes an elongatedY rigidsbill 34 ,which is bifurcatd atVJits rear end ,to receive hook `2,0;asshown- Bill 34 is provided at itsrear end. with a rigid cross pin 35 onto which thehook 2.0 attaches.

The shank of hookZD is provided with an elongated slot 36, the edges. ofwhich are serrated, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. A rigid pin 31 of theproper diameter is received at a selected location in slot 36., and.serves as a rest or s'top for the aft end of bill 34. By changing thelocation of pin 31 inV its slotr the angular position of bill 34 withrelation to the beam l0 may be selectively changed; As will beunderstood by those familiar with this art, the object or providing theremovable bill 34 is to enable the holder. to contact a portion 'of aload already loaded cna supporting structure, as clearly illustrated inFig. 2, so that addltibnal cargo may be moved upward on the skid andover the holder to a position atop the car'gowhi'ch has already beenloaded.

From 'the above description, it will be seen that the invention proifidsa device which can be easily and firmly secured to one end Vof a loadingskid and then 'placed in contact with a load supporting strcture to holdthe skid in an inclined position so that cargo can easily be movedupward over the s'kid to the Supporting structure.

Ha'ving described the i'ni/'e'r'iti'on with sufficient clarity to enablethose familiar with this art to construct and use it, I claim:

1'. A holde'r for attachment to fone end 'f a loading skid forsupporting that 'end n'an elevated structure onto which it is desired totransfer a load, comprising: an elongated rigid beam vadapted to seatflat against the upper srface 'of one ed of a skid vand toextedcentrally and longitudinally inward 'from (that "e'nd; a transversestfop secured rigidly to said beam i'i'ear its forward end, anddepending below the lower beam surface to abut the 'extreme end o'f theskid; forwardly projecting means Vsecured v'to said beam forward of saidstop for contacting 'a structure capable of supporting a lo'ad to irlturn 'support the holder and hence the end of theskid; a rigid crossbarrigidly secured to andprojecting from both sides of the beam aft of thestop; and an elongated flexible member having 'spaced portions securedto said crossbar at pointson opposite sides of said beam, and adapted toembrace the end portion of a skid on which said b'eamvis mounted, withthe extreme end of the vskid abutting said stop.

2. The holder described 'in claim l which the said forwardly projectingmeansinludes an elongatedbill which vis angularlyadjustable in thevertical` plane in which the beam lies.

3. The holder described in claim 1, and means 4 for applying tension tothe flexible member to firmly secure the beam to the end of a skid.

4. A holder for attachment to one end of a loading s kid for supportingthat end on an elevated structure onto which it is desired to transf era load, comprising: an elongated rigid beam adapted to seat flat againstthe upper surface of askid and to extend centrally and longitudinallyinward from one end thereof; a transverse stop secured rigidly to saidbeam near its forward end, vand depending below the lower bea'rn surfaceto 'abut the extreme end of a skid; a downwardly opening attaching hookrigidly secured to said beam forward of said stop, for contacting astructure capable of supportingA a load; a rigid crossbar rigidlysecured to and projecting from both sides of the beam aft of the stop;and an elongated flexible member having spaced portions secured to saidcrossbar at points on opposite sides of said beam, and adapted toembrace the endportion of a skid on which said beam is mounted, with theextreme end of the skid abutting said stop.

5. A holder for attachment to one end of a loading skid for supportingthat end on an elevatedstructure onto which it is desired to transfer aload, comprising: a rigid central beam having an integral downwardlyvopening hook at its forward end; a transverse plate extending beyondboth sides of and disposed at right angles with relation to the beam anddepending below the nether surface thereof at a location near the hook,said plate adapted to` abut an end of a skid with the rear portion ofthe beam extendn ing centrally and longitudinally along the uppersurface of the skid toward its opposite end; a rigid crossbar extendinglaterally from both sides of said beam at a location spaced rearwardfrom said plate; and an elongated flexible member having spaced portionssecured to said crossbar on opposite sides of the beam to embrace theend portion of a skid on which said beam is mounted, and t'o thus'secure the beam to the skid.

6. The holder described in claim 5, and means for tightening 'saidflexible member to firmly grip askld.

7. A skid holder comprising: a substantially cross shaped member whichincludes 'an elongated central beam', and a. rigid cross bar extendinglaterally frm both sides thereof at a location intermediate Ythe beamends; a downwardly opening hook rigidly secured to the forward end ofthe beam; a rigid transverse stop extending beyond both Asides of saidbeam at a location adjacent tlie hook and forward of the crossbar, saidstop depending belowthelower surface of said beam; and an elongatedflexible skid embracing member having spacedportions secured to saidcrossbar on opposite sides of said beam to clamp the butt end `0f a skidagainst the stop, and the 'adjacent upper surface of the end of a skidalong the nether surface of the beam, with the hook projecting beyondsaid butt end of the skid.

8. The holder described in claim 7 in which the rear portion of theupper surface of the beam is inclined downwardly and rearwardly to meetthe bottom surface thereof at an acuteangle,

RICHARD H. DOBBS.

No references cited.

